Citizens United: More Than 3/4 of States Banning Corp Expenditures Have 2010 Gubernatorial Races

[Land Shark]

By grounding its ruling in the First Amendment and avoiding narrower ways of resolving the case, the US Supreme Court's holding in Citizens United has the effect of preempting state and local laws banning corporate expenditures, because of the application of the First Amendment to the states via the Fourteenth Amendment.

A grand total of 24 states restrict OR ban corporate expenditures, with 22 banning and 2 restricting them.

Even though only 22 states ban corporate expenditures, 77% of those states have gubernatorial elections this year. Of the states that do NOT ban corporate expenditures, states banning corporate expenditures has a gubernatorial race this year -- in addition to House races for all positions. (The Senate 2010 election map is here: http://www.electoral-vote.com/ )

In addition to the 17 banning, five other states ban such expenditures but do not have gubernatorial races this year. (See below)

You can see a map of the below states at this link:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2010-01-21-campaign-law_N.htm
Electoral college map at
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/maps/obama_vs_mccain/
Current Gubernatorial Occupants state by state map at:

THE SEVENTEEN STATES BANNING CORPORATE EXPENDITURES W/ GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS THIS YEAR

Alaska Red-3 electoral votes; R-Governor incumbent
Arizona Red-10 electoral votes R-Governor incumbent
Colorado Blue-9 electoral votes D-Governor incumbent
Connecticut Blue-7 electoral votes R-Governor incumbent
Iowa Blue-7 electoral votes D-Governor incumbent
Massachusetts Blue-12 electoral votes D-Governor incumbent
Minnesota Blue-10 electoral votes R-Governor incumbent
Michigan Blue-17 electoral votes D-Governor incumbent
Ohio Blue-20 electoral votes D-Governor incumbent
Oklahoma Red-7 electoral votes D-Governor incumbent
Pennsylvania Blue-21 electoral votes D-Governor incumbent
Rhode Island Blue-4 electoral votes R-Governor incumbent
South Dakota Red-3 electoral votes R-Governor incumbent
Tennessee Red-11 electoral votes D-Governor incumbent
Texas Red-34 electoral votes R-Governor incumbent
Wisconsin Blue-10 electoral votes D-Governor incumbent
Wyoming Red-3 electoral votes D-Governor incumbent

The above total 71 Red electoral votes, and 117 Blue electoral votes

THE FIVE STATES BANNING CORP EXPENDITURES BUT HAVING NO 2010 GUBERNATORIAL RACE

North Carolina Blue-15 electoral votes
North Dakota Red-3 electoral votes
Kentucky Red-8 electoral votes
Montana Red-3 electoral votes
West Virginia Red-5 electoral votes

Totals: 19 Red electoral votes and 15 Blue electoral votes

ALL THE 2010 GUBERNATORIAL RACES

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_gubernatorial_elections,_2010

* 2.1 Retiring or term-limited Democratic governors
o 2.1.1 Bill Ritter (Colorado)
o 2.1.2 Mark Parkinson (Kansas)
o 2.1.3 John Baldacci (Maine)
o 2.1.4 Jennifer Granholm (Michigan)
o 2.1.5 Bill Richardson (New Mexico)
o 2.1.6 Brad Henry (Oklahoma)
o 2.1.7 Ted Kulongoski (Oregon)
o 2.1.8 Ed Rendell (Pennsylvania)
o 2.1.9 Phil Bredesen (Tennessee)
o 2.1.10 Jim Doyle (Wisconsin)
* 2.2 Possibly term-limited Democratic governors
o 2.2.1 Dave Freudenthal (Wyoming)
* 2.3 Retiring or term-limited Republican governors
o 2.3.1 Bob Riley (Alabama)
o 2.3.2 Arnold Schwarzenegger (California)
o 2.3.3 Jodi Rell (Connecticut)
o 2.3.4 Charlie Crist (Florida)
o 2.3.5 Sonny Perdue (Georgia)
o 2.3.6 Felix Camacho (Guam)
o 2.3.7 Linda Lingle (Hawaii)
o 2.3.8 Tim Pawlenty (Minnesota)
o 2.3.9 Donald Carcieri (Rhode Island)
o 2.3.10 Mark Sanford (South Carolina)
o 2.3.11 Mike Rounds (South Dakota)
o 2.3.12 Jim Douglas (Vermont)
* 2.4 Democratic governors who may seek re-election or election
o 2.4.1 Mike Beebe (Arkansas)
o 2.4.2 Pat Quinn (Illinois)
o 2.4.3 Chet Culver (Iowa)
o 2.4.4 Martin O'Malley (Maryland)
o 2.4.5 Deval Patrick (Massachusetts)
o 2.4.6 John Lynch (New Hampshire)
o 2.4.7 David Paterson (New York)
o 2.4.8 Ted Strickland (Ohio)
o 2.4.9 John de Jongh (United States Virgin Islands)
* 2.5 Republican governors who may seek re-election or election
o 2.5.1 Sean Parnell (Alaska)
o 2.5.2 Jan Brewer (Arizona)
o 2.5.3 Butch Otter (Idaho)
o 2.5.4 Dave Heineman (Nebraska)
o 2.5.5 Jim Gibbons (Nevada)
o 2.5.6 Rick Perry (Texas)
o 2.5.7 Gary Herbert (Utah)

THE GUBERNATORIAL TOSSUP STATES (according to Swing State Project)

Arizona
Colorado
Connecticut
Florida
Iowa
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Nevada
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Vermont
Wisconsin

Of all the gubernatorial Toss up states, all but 3 (Vermont, Nevada, and Florida) are in states that have corporate expenditure bans that have been nixed.

Outside of outright bans, New York (Blue-31 electoral votes, D-governor incumbent 201 election) and Alabama (Red-9 electoral votes) have restrictions but not bans on corporate expenditures but do not have gubernatorial races this year.

The grand total of affected electoral votes are 132 Blue electoral votes and 92 Red electoral votes, including Texas's 34.

Of course, the elections for 100% of the House of Representatives in November of this year are all greatly affected, as well as 1/3 of the Senate.

[2 Much Tribulation]

1. Unrec, we want Republicans! (kidding)... n/t

[Land Shark]

2. kick

[2 Much Tribulation]

3. kick